Corsair Flash Voyager Go

We’re not often left speechless, but the 64GB Voyager Go is borderline witchcraft. It’s utterly minuscule; a 64GB thumb drive used to indeed be the size of a thumb, but this drive is barely larger than the USB 3 connector integrated into the casing. What’s more, the Go is equipped with a micro-USB connector and complies with the sparkly new USB On-The-Go (OTG) specification, meaning that compatible Android devices can read it or write to it. This makes it incredibly useful, especially as a media bank. We loaded the Go with a range of HD movies, music and documents, and they all played perfectly on our test Galaxy Note 3. If you have a compatible device with limited storage, the Voyager Go is a no-brainer.

Robocup

Half man, half mug, Robocup has three prime directives: to uphold the law, protect the innocent and serve the public tea. Made from suitably hefty ceramic, Robocup holds a larger than average brew, meaning he’ll keep your thirst at bay longer than a normal, unmodified cup. He’s sturdy too, so he can shrug off the worst that a dishwasher or microwave can throw at him. At $13, we can’t help thinking that you’re paying a hefty royalty to someone, somewhere, but if you’re a diehard fan of the film this is easily overlooked. This is the future of tea drinking you’re holding in your hand, after all. Dead or alive, you’re drinking tea.

Elgato Smart Key

Approximately the size of a casino chip, the Smart Key syncs to an iOS device via Bluetooth, and alerts you when you’ve strayed from the valuable item to which it’s attached. It worked reliably during our testing, pinging our phone when the connection broke, although it isn’t instant, as the phone checks a couple of times to make sure the interruption is genuine. Handily, the dedicated app provides a map of where the connection was lost. However, without a data or GPS connection of its own, you’re unable able to track your valuables if someone else moves them. On the downside, $32 is a lot for such a simple device, and constant use of Bluetooth will impact on your battery life too, but it will be worth it if it prevents you from losing your keys or bag even once.

MOGA Mobile Android Gaming System

Using the on-screen controls for smartphone games can be awkward at times, but not quite as awkward as controlling games using the MOGA Pocket. The idea behind the controller is sound; the controller clamps to your phone and connects via Bluetooth, but it’s poorly executed. The angle at which the controller attaches to the phone, for example, is far too acute – we found ourselves having to tilt the Pocket away from us while gaming to get the screen at a comfortable angle. Furthermore, the ergonomics aren’t great either; the device is too deep, and using the two joysticks feels very strange, as they aren’t aligned. Factor in the need to download MOGA’s own app to sync the controller to your phone properly, and it’s clear you can spend ?30 better elsewhere. It’s a great idea, but the design needs more work.

Icy Box IB-3662U3

Icy Box has a reputation for making no-nonsense, practical computing devices, and the IB-3662U3 is no exception. Its matt aluminium exterior looks smart, and its function as a dual-bay external JBOD disk caddy is straightforward, with little in the way of fripperies. Insertion and removal of disks is simple and, happily, toolfree, and setup is instant, as no drivers are required either. Of course, while the raw simplicity makes setup simple, it does mean there are no extras, such as auto-backup or RAID capabilities, and there isn’t a network port either, so it can’t be used as a rudimentary NAS. If none of that is important, however, and you simply desire a home for a large slab of external storage, the IB-3662U3 is ideal.

CORD CRUNCHER EARPHONES

We’ve seen many supposed solutions to the problem of tangled earphones over the years, but none quite as innovative as that employed by these Cord Cruncher earphones. The focus of the system is the rubber sleeve that runs up the bottom third of the earphone cables. Holding each end of this tubing, and then stretching it lengthways, gathers up the earphone cable, before crunching it down when you allow the rubber to return to its natural size. It’s a clever and fun system, but it can’t hide the fact that the earphones themselves are utter pap. We also have reservations about how well the earphone cables will stand up to being repeatedly scrunched up again in the long run.

STAR WARS DEATH STAR COOKIE JAR

Given that the fate of both Death Stars built by the Galactic Empire was to be blown into a billion tiny pieces, we didn’t hold out much hope for the longevity of the Death Star Cookie Jar. Mercifully, it made it through our extensive two-week test without exploding once – remarkable for a unit without any defensive ion cannons or tractor beams. Overall, the jar proved to be well made, with a tight-fitting lid that kept the contents from going soft, and there aren’t any exposed exhaust ports either. $35 is the top end of what we’d pay for a novelty cookie jar, but there’s no doubting its geek credentials. Now the dark side really does have cookies.